Has your family doctor ever prescribed you a round of acupuncture? Probably not. Alternative treatments often get short shrift in standard health care because most of the doctors are unaware of the science showing that they are effective alternatives to the drugs and medication. Acupuncture is a good treatment for chronic pain and that doctors should start recommending it as a treatment for arthritis and other chronic diseases. Here are 6 other scientifically studied ways that acupuncture therapy can relieve what's bothering you:

1: Eases your aching back.

Using the acupuncture therapy to relieve chronic back pain successfully is a known scientific fact, and renowned acupuncturists say that it's the leading reason that people visit their acupuncture clinics. A recent research study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine even found that the people who were given "simulated acupuncture," saw as much as a 15% greater improvement in their symptoms than individuals who were taking allopathic medications and undergoing the standard chiropractic care.

2: Boosts the efficiency of pharmaceuticals.

A study from China found that a low dose of fluoxetine (Prozac) combined with acupuncture therapy was just as productive at reducing anxiety in patients being treated for the depression as full-dose medication. Cutting the usual dose and getting acupuncture therapy also reduced the drug's side effects, which can include weight gain, nausea, and a reduced sex drive.

3: Soothes the burning in your stomach

The research findings published by the Brazilian researchers state that acupuncture therapy alleviated heartburn and indigestion in pregnant women.

4: Counteracts the effects of radiation.

Cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment are likely to suffer a wide variety of side effects, depending on the part of the body being treated. However, the acupuncture therapy has been found to have some beneficial effect on the perception of how bad those effects can be, particularly for nausea and dry mouth, common in patients receiving radiation to the head and neck.

5: Dulls persistent headaches.

A review of total 22 studies involving acupuncture therapy, migraines, and tension headaches found that regular acupuncture therapy was effective at preventing tension headaches and migraines from becoming a problem and that it was a useful treatment for existing headaches.

6: Ends obesity?

The influence of the acupuncture therapy on obesity isn't as well-documented as the other examples we've listed, but there's enough evidence to suggest that it could be an efficient weight-loss treatment. Researchers have found that acupuncture therapy led to huge decreases in body weight than lifestyle changes or medications. It is hard to understand how effective acupuncture therapy would be on obesity in the long run. But for the people willing to try it, adding a weekly acupuncture session to daily exercise and a smart diet could lead to healthy gains.